Folding camera



June 25, 1935- c. BORNMANN ET AL 2,005,820

FOLDING CAMERA Filed Dec. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 62,21 Ea/mwwwv LEW 14 LESSLE/E. E/Z rc r1 Ham-x2 ATTORNEY.

June 25, 1935. c. BORNMANN ET AL 2,005,320

FOLDING CAMERA Filed Dec. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 25, 1935 Q I h UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING CAMERA Carl Bornmann, Lew W. Lessler, and Eric H. Beyer, Binghamton, N. Y., aseignors to Aafa Ansco Corporation, BinghamtonrN. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 18, 1934, Serial No. 758,070 1 10 Claims. (Cl. 95-40) Our invention relates to folding cameras and or bed suitably pivoted to the body of the camhas for its primary object the provision of lockera at 2a, and 3, the bellows extending from the ing and releasing means for the platform or bed body to the front or lens-carrier 4; upon which is of a folding camera. mounted the lens and shutter mechanism 5 with 5 Our invention relates particularly to the type the usual view finder 6. 5

of folding camera wherein by means of links and The body I may be of any desired construction levers connected to the body of the camera and and material as this forms no part of this invento the platform, the front or lens carrier is ereettion. In the form shown the sides of the body I ed and held in proper picture taking position are composed of the outer cover plate 'I overlywhen the camera is opened and the platform ins the adjace t flanges or plate members 8 and 10 lowered, although it will be clear as the descripth spa d inner p a 9 s me t mak up th s tion. proceeds that it is equally adapted to the particular body co st uctionordinary folding camera, having links or braces Adjacent the front or free end of the platform between the body and th latf 2 there are provided at each side thereof, rigid One important object of our invention lies in upstanding Supporting members "I to which are 16 the provision of locking and releasing means-actp as a t e v s These levers mg upon certain of t erecting links and thus pivotally carry as at l3 the lens carrier l4. Pivotellminating the necessity for the usual side ally attached as at I 130 the levers I2, 81; points braces between the body of the camera and the below the pivots ll 01 Such v a the front 20 l tf ends of links l5 pivotally secured at their opposite 20 One outstanding object of importance lies in ends as at t0 body I at Points p d 1bthe provision of locking and releasing means for stantially ve t e pivot 01 the Platform It the platform located upon the body of the camera Should be understood here that although I av d i h position t t an operator can readshown but one side of the camera and the bracket 1 release t locking means with one hand lll, lever i2, and link IS on that side, the same 25 More specifically the invention contemplates Parts are duplicated exactly on the opposite ide the use of a locking member located on each side of the Platformof the body of the camera, each cooperating with For further details of h levers l2 and the the adjacent link and including release means means provided 011 Cameras this yp o m- 0 which can be smultaneously operated by the iting the movement of the lens carrier and of the thumb and a finger of one hand normally holdlevers reference may be h to the United mg the camera in a convenient and conven- States Patent t0 Goldhammer, NO. 1,793,925, tional manner. dated February 24, 1931.

other object and advantages m be apparent In order to limit the pivotal movement of the the description proceeds reference now platform 2 when the Same iS Opened, and in Order had to the figures of the accompanying drawing to support the platform in its opened position, in forming a part of application and wherein proper cooperation the levers and the like reference numerals indicate like parts. lens carrielfthe'rear ends of the links are In t drawings; provided with upwardly and rearwardly curving 40 Figure 1 1s a side View of a foldin camera, extensions ll provided with slots I8, the upper 40 th body being broken away t o point t m and rearward ends of which slots are formed trate our improved locking means for the plat- 85 Circular p n s 9 u e 5)- Engaging in each of the slots I8 is a pin 20 Figure 2 is a t il enlarged sectional View slidably mounted in a hollow bushing 2| secured t ke on th li 2 ..2 of Fi 1, in an opening in each side of the body of the Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of part of the camera as y means Of eaded nut 22 enmechanism shown in Figure 2 with the locking gaging a thr aded p tion of t bushin 2| beand releasing device in a different position. tween the Spaced Plates 8 and 9 0f the camera Figure 4 is a rear view of a folding camera body. The bushing 2| is recessed as at 23 and equipped with my invention. within the recess is disposed a coiled spring 24 Figure 5 is a side view of the camera in closed encircling the p 20 d engaging at one end Y position and partially broken away to illustrate ag st t d of the recess 23 and at its P- a portion of the locking means. posite end against a head 25 formed as an en- The reference character i refers generally to largement of the pin 20, whereby such pin 20 is the body of the camera. 2 refers to the platform normally urged outwardly or to the left in Figure 2. The head 25 is provided with a suitable finger piece 26.

The inner end of the pin 20 is provided with an enlarged head 21 having'a threaded stem- 28 whereby the head 21 may be secured to the pin in rigid fixed relation thereto. This head 21 engaging against the inner end of the bushing 2| limits the outward movement of the pin 20.

As shown clearly in Figure 2 the head 21 is adapted to engage within the circular opening i9 at the upper inner end of the slot l8, when the platform 2 is moved to its open position shown in Figure 1. This engagement of the head 21 within the opening is is automatic as soon as the platform reaches a predetermined lowered position, as the spring 24 urging the pin 20 outwardly causes the head 21 to immediately snap into the opening [9 when such opening reaches an aligning position therewith. This aligning position for the locking engagement between the head 27 and the opening I9 is predetermined with respect to the proper open position of the platform and of the levers l2 and lens carrier 4.

It should be pointed out here that both the opening 19 and the peripheral edge of the head 2! are beveled or tapered as at 29. This serves as a guiding and centering means for the head 2'! as it moves into the slot is and also serves to prevent accidentally springing the extension ll of the links l5 inwardly past the heads 21.

Obviously in the position just described and as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the platform is supported in its open position by the links i5 and rigidly locked in such position through such links by means of the heads 2'! engaging within the openings I 9. This arrangement provides a very substantial and rigid support for the platform in its open position due to the substantial spacing between the pins 20 and the pivot 2a of the platform 2.

When it is desired to unlock the platform 2 and move it to closed position within the body of the camera, namely, to the position shown in Figure 5, it is merely necessary to press inwardly upon the pins 20, utilizing the projecting finger pieces 26 for that purpose, whereupon the heads 21 move out of engagement with the openings l9, whereupon the platform 2 may be rocked upwardly on its pivot, the pins 20 sliding within the arcuate slots l8 of the extensions I! on the links The platform 2 may thus be moved completely to its closed position with respect to the body I where it may be locked by any of the conventional latches usually provided for that purpose and from which position it may be released in the conventional manner when it is desired to again open the camera for use. It is immaterial whether spring means are provided for normally throwing the platform 2 to its complete open position when released from its closed position or whether it must be pulled down to its full open position. In either event when the platform 2 reaches the predetermined opened position, the head 21 on the pin 20, under the influence of the coil spring 24, will move into its corresponding opening l9 to lock the link I5 and thus the platform 2 in such open position.

It will be clear from Figure 4 that the pins 20 with their finger pieces 26 project slightly outwardly from the opposite sides of the body i in a convenient position for simultaneously pressing them inwardly with the thumb and a finger of one hand in order to release the platform for closing. This provides a very much more convenient and simple releasing means for the platform than the conventional and well known side braces usually provided extending from the body of the camera to the platform on each side and which require the use of both hands with a thumb pressing on each brace to release the platform lock. With applicants invention, the operator may grasp the camera in one hand in a conventionaland normal manner and with the thumb and one finger simultaneously press the finger pieces 26 to release the locking means for the platform whereupon the platform may be pivoted upwardly to closed position, the links IS, the levers l2 and the lens carrier 4 simultaneously moving to and assuming their normal folded positions within the body I.

Of course, changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. We do not limit ourselves, therefore, to the exact form herein shown and described other than by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A folding camera comprising a body, a plat form hinged thereto, a lens carrier pivotally supported on said platform, means pivoted to said body for supporting said platform in its opened position, said means having connection with said carrier to rock the same on its pivot when said platform is opened and closed, means on said body for locking and releasing said supporting means, and means on said body for actuating said locking and releasing means.

2. A folding camera comprising a body, a platform hinged thereto, a lens carrier pivotally supported on said platform, means pivoted to said body for supporting said platform in its opened position, said means having connection with said carrier to rock the same on its pivot when said platform is opened and closed, means wholly on said body for locking and releasing said supporting means in its supporting position, and means wholly on said body for actuating said locking and releasing means.

3. In combination, a camera body, a platform hinged thereto for movement to closed and open positions with respect to said body, means pivoted to said body for supporting said platform in its effective open position, means for locking and releasing said supporting means at a point remote from the pivot thereof, and means slidable through the side of said body at such point for actuating said locking and releasing means.

4. In combination, a camera body, a platform hinged thereto for movement to closed and open position with respect to said body, link means pivoted to said body for supporting said platform in open position, means slidable through the side of said body and engageable with said link means at a point remote from the pivot thereof for lock ing said link means in a predetermined position of said platform, and means on said slidable means and projecting through the side of said body for releasing said locking means.

position with respect to said body, front erecting means pivoted on' said platform, means pivoted to said body and to said erecting means for supporting said platform in open position and for actuating said front erecting means, means on said body for locking said supporting means in a predetermined open position of said platform, and means wholly on said body for releasing said locking means.

7. In combination, a camera body, a platform hinged thereto for movement to closed and open positions with respect to said body, means connected to said body for supporting and locking said platform in a predetermined opened position, and actuating means on said body for releasing said locking means, said actuating means comprising slidable members extending through the sides of said body provided with projecting finger pieces on their outer ends and cooperatively engaging said supporting means at their inner ends, said supporting means comprising links provided with slots for receiving said slidable members.

8. In combination, a camera body, a platform hinged thereto for movement to closed and open positions with respect to said body, means connected to said body for supporting and locking said platform in a predetermined opened position, and actuating means on said body for releas ing said locking means, said actuating means comprising slidable members extending through the sides of said body provided with projecting finger pieces on their outer ends and cooperatively engaging said supporting means at their inner ends, said supporting means comprising links provided with slots for receiving said slidable members, the inner ends of said members having enlarged heads thereon and the ends of said slots having enlarged openings to receive said heads in one position of said supporting links.

9. In combination, a camera body, a platform hinged thereto for movement to closed and open positions with respect to said body, means connected to said body for supporting and locking said platform in a predetermined opened position, and actuating means on said body for releasing said locking means, said actuating means comprising slidable members extending through the sides of said body provided with projecting finger pieces on their outer ends and cooperatively engaging said supporting means at their inner ends, said supporting means comprising links provided with slots for receiving said slidable members, the inner ends of said members having enlarged heads thereon and the ends of said slots having enlarged openings to receive said heads in one position of said supporting links, said heads and said slots being tapered.

10. In combination, a camera body, a platform hinged thereto for movement to closed and open positions with respect to said body, means connected to said body for supporting and locking said platform in a predetermined opened position and actuating means on said body for releasing said locking means, said actuating means comprising slidable members extending through the sides of said body provided with projecting finger pieces on their outer ends and cooperatively engaging said supporting means at their inner ends, said supporting means comprising links provided with slots for receiving said slidable members, the inner ends of said members having enlarged heads. thereon and the ends of said slots having enlarged openings to receive said heads in one position of said supporting links, said heads and said slots being tapered, 1

and spring means normally urging said heads into said openings when the same are in alignment.

CARL BORNMANN. LEW W. LESSLER. ERIC H. HEYER. 

